Making a documentary like ours

Unlike a narrative film (which has a story written from a script), documentaries, especially investigative ones like Pioneers in Skirts, don’t often have a story structure at the start of the journey – a beginning, middle, and end.

For us, we started with a question that led us to even more questions, which led us to more. An interview took us to another, which took us to another. All the while, fundraising so we could afford to have the interviews!

We did this for 4 years; switching between research, interviewing, following key characters with our cameras, and fundraising — and then editing the footage until we had a 90-minute cut.

Our goal: craft a relatable story into a quality film that can be seen on screens worldwide.

Because of the many procedural and technical efforts, on average, a documentary can take 6-9 years to make as filmmakers dive into their story and raise funds.

We are beginning year 5

Hey, you can say we’re ahead of schedule…because we’re almost done!

At the end of October we sent a pre-screening rough cut to a few special people knowledgeable on the topic. In about a week they’ll be providing feedback that will help us build upon the story we tell and the solutions we feature in the film.

From there we can work on fine-tuning the story, edit, music, sound, graphics, and color! With enough funding we can finish in just a few short months.

A daily effort to reach the finish line

For us, every day is a practice of perseverance. It would be so easy to drown in the work and our lack of resources or studio-sized funding. But we don’t.

Instead, we push forward because we believe in this film, in our journey, and the potential for Pioneers in Skirts to positively impact women — especially the young women just now realizing it’s not going to be so easy to achieve their dreams.

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I am a global activation marketer who works with clients (big and small) who need an expert to help them be more effective and dynamic in their marketing approach.
I'm also the Producer of Pioneers in Skirts! Tapping into a career that spans over 20 years, I enjoy working with film teams to develop and oversee production and promotional efforts. When on set, I will jump-in to hold the camera, throw on headsets, and am always willing to drive the get-away car!

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The making of Pioneers in Skirts depends on individuals, foundations and businesses to support the film. The easiest way for YOU to make your tax deductible donation is by clicking on the "Donate Now" button!

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